Chiapas: Displacement of campesinos who were protesting a wind-energy park in Arriaga

On 21 January, a group of campesinos who had since 14 January been occupying the El Brillante field (Arriaga municipality) were displaced by police after having demanded “just compensation” for the use of their lands by the Arriaga Wind-Energy firm, which in mid-2012 built a wind-energy park on this land. According to journalistic information, 20 campesinos and small property-owners had blockaded access to the wind-energy park supposedly to protest the lack of payment, violation of contract, and environmental damage for which the firm is responsible, being part of the Salinas Group, a subsidiary of TV Azteca, which is owned by Ricardo Salinas Pliego. Beyond this, the State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) of Chiapas reported that it is demanding penal action against César Octavio Blanco García and Dagoberto Castellanos Cruz, with the former already having been incarcerated; these have been indicated as being the leaders of the protestors.